A huge part of history was exploring the world and identifying the things that were not understood at the time. Exploration has always been the most effective way to gain knowledge. Having the mindset to explore is not something that everyone has innately. However, Ferdinand Magellan was one of the few people throughout history that was always interested and exploring and discovering something that was new. He is known as one of the most famous and the most accomplished sea explorers of all time. This is a feat that is difficult and dangerous to accomplish. It is important that you are fully aware of his contributions and the information that his explorations made available to all. Here is a look at some of the top accomplishments of Ferdinand Magellan.
Overcoming
Ferdinand did not have an easy childhood, but he never let this top him or hold him back in any way. He was orphaned at a very young age, but he still obtained an education. He learned about the accomplishments of various explorers at a young age and this sparked his interest, He decided that he was up for the adventure and also wanted to be an explorer. He was always motivated and never allowed his childhood to hold him back in any way.
Circumnavigate the Globe
The biggest achievement of Magellan’s career was his ability to circumnavigate the globe. This was something that had never happened before Magellan achieved it. It was a very dangerous and almost impossible mission that Magellan was somehow able to achieve. Being able to accomplish this is what makes him known as one of the very best explorers. Magellan took on this exploration in order to prove that the Earth was not flat and that is was actually a sphere. There were five ships that originally made this voyage in 1519. He did not actually complete this trip, but he is credited as the first, because he was the first one to take on this type of exploration and he was able to prove his theory to be true.
Strait of Magellan
One of the biggest honors that can be given to an explorer is having something that you discovered be named after you. Magellan was given this honor through the naming of the Strait of Magellan. This strait can be found in South America and it separates two masses of land. It was named after him after he passed through it. This strait is still named after Magellan to this day, which is a huge accomplishment. He has a mark on history that will never be lost.
Pacific Ocean
He was also the explorer that was given the honor of actually naming the Pacific Ocean. He discovered the Pacific Ocean after being in a storm on the Atlantic Ocean. He named the water this name because it was the cam safety that they found after they found themselves in a severe storm. This Ocean was what allowed them to find safety on their journey. The Pacifica Ocean still has the name that Magellan gave it years ago. Not only were things named after him, but he also had the honor of naming things that he discovered.
Spice Islands
Another one of his big accomplishments was also one of his discoveries. He was able to explore and find the Spice Islands. These islands are also referred to as the East Indies. He was the first one to actually find the west route to India. This is something that was one on a long list of his journeys and is one of the locations that he is credited with finding. As an explorer, having more places that you discovered on your resume only adds to your achievements.
Clouds
It is probably hard to consider living in a world when you did not understand what anything was. Magellan was actually the first one to spot and to name clouds. Now clouds are everywhere that we look and are understood, but at the time they were a mystery. Magellan is the one that is credited with discovering clouds and with naming them. It was on his long voyage that he first spotted clouds. He was also the first explorer to discover penguins. These birds that migrate were originally identified by Magellan. Now these are the same birds that are actually found in the Strait of Magellan, which is very fitting.
Death and Voyage Impact
Magellan was not able to complete his journey around the earth due to his death, but he is often credited simply because he was the first one to give this voyage a try. He is known as the explorer that was not fearful and was motivated to discover as much as he could and learn about things that most people did not know existed.